Rachel's bravery

Impulsively took Rachel in to the clinic this morning to get her a flu shot. I've been meaning to get us both flu shots but haven't had the time, so today I decided we needed to because the last thing I want is for all of us to get sick next week when I have a household of people here for Thanksgiving.

We got to the clinic later than I wanted to, but we got in fairly quickly and I noted to Rachel that we would be able to sit together on a wide enough seat to get our shots. I also didn't give her the option of an inhaled flu shot -- I figure that she'll have to get lots of shots in her life so why soften her up too early? When the nurse asked who should go first, Rachel was no dummy -- she said, "Mommy first."

The nurse swabbed my left shoulder with alcohol, unwrapped the needle and gave me a shot. I winced; it hurt.

Then it was Rachel's turn. And...nothing! No crying! No whimpering! Not even a wince?

I was astonished. "You didn't even make a peep!!" I exclaimed. "You were SO BRAVE!" (It's true; I had a bunch of treats in my purse just in case she got upset, but she never needed them).

She caught on to the "you didn't even make a peep!" and on the way to the car and all the way to preschool she kept saying, "I didn't even make a PEEP!" We also decided that since we'd gotten OUR shots, it was time to nag Daddy to get HIS shot. "Time to get your flu shot, Daddy!" Rachel practiced saying.

I reminded Rachel that when she was a baby, she hated shots. She cried and cried..."WAAH!" I said, imitating her.

"Yeah, I was so startled!" she said, and again I was reminded of her amazing vocabulary.

When she got to preschool, I told Rhonda, the receptionist, that we had gotten our flu shots that morning.

"I didn't make a PEEP!" Rachel told her. "I was braver than Mommy!"

Yeah, kid, you were.